So glad I found this site! I've had my chi since he was 8 weeks old. He's now over 4 years old. Sometimes I get so frustrated with him and other times he's a love bug. I was wondering if anyone had these types of issues with their chi.

1. He barks at anything that is out of place, whether it's a mop that I didn't put back right away or a box from a delivery on the floor. Can dogs get OCD? If things aren't in their proper place, he just won't shut up!

2. He was neutered when I got him, but he loves, loves, loves to hump pillows. It's difficult to remove the pillow without him trying to bite you. I'm the only one in the house that can do it. (I have 2 teenage daughters)

3. He will bite you if you disturb him when he's comfy. I won't let him sleep in my bed, because if I move in the middle of the night, he bites me! He WON'T bite me during the day, even if he's fallen asleep on my lap and I move. Then, he's fine, he just moves.

4. He doesn't like people getting too close, too soon. I tell them to back off and let the dog go to them when he's ready. He's about 8 pounds and everyone just wants to pick him up. If they move on him too fast, he bites! I sternly tell him "NO!", then he just runs away.

Anyone else have any of these issues? Thanks for having this site! Wish I'd have found it sooner1

Oh my! I've heard someone else in this forum had a similar problem some time back. You said you had him since 8 weeks old & he was neutered when you got him? I hope this is a mistyping. There is something serious going on here. Has he always been like this or is he getting worse as he gets older? Sounds like he might need to be put on some medicine like amitryptolene (sp?). This doesn't sound like OCD; it sounds like severe behavior problems that he can't help control. Have you tried any kind of discipline?

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Hi can you send pics thanks

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my buster

Bianca has never bitten me, but if she is napping with me and I go to move she growls. I've always assumed she got startled being half or all the way asleep. Did he get lots of socialization as a puppy? People still should not grab your dog. Your last senerio sounds more like a scared dog and rude people.

I bought him from a pet store. I know, first mistake. They told me he had under ended testicals, so they neutered him. I live in the Northeast and we got him in Dec. He hated going outside. He still hates going out in the winter! So, he didn't get to socialize with many dogs, but there are always people around. If he likes you, you're golden. My brother lives some distance away and Tobi instantly liked him. I thought the kids being loud and goofing around makes him uneasy.

I do discipline him and he listens most of the time. He prefers to potty outside as long as it's not raining or 2 feet of snow. He uses pads when weather is bad

The barking at things out of place....can't get him to stop until I put it away. He also barks at anything that comes near our yard. The squirrels are arch enemies. The feeling is mutual. The squirrels walk right up to the front glass door to taunt him!

He also hates t-storms and fireworks. He shakes and pants during those, as well as hiding in cramped quarters.

How do I get him to be calmer?

LOL! I see this morning I typo'd last night. No more typing on my ipod! My dog, they say, was born with undescended testicals, not under ended! LOL!

Hi, Yes, my dog does many of the things you mention. Barney is 4.5 months old.

- things out of place: Yes, Barney is really able to notice change. We noticed this right away, he even got upset by someone putting on shoes! Here is how I handle this: Since I want a watch dog, I think it is a good trait, but he needs to alert me, then let me handle the situation. I acknowledge his alert, go look at whatever he's talking about, praise, then say 'enough'. If he doesn't back down, I use a variety of techniques to calm him down. I talk to him about it in a calm manner, sometimes give a treat and distract, go outside to distract, and very rarely, shake my tin full of bottle caps. He hates that noise and that changes his attention. I praise as soon as he is quiet, often saying 'thank you for letting me know' or something.

- possessiveness: I practice taking things from him every day. It makes no difference to me why he wants to keep something. Everything he has is by my permission. Sometimes I'll offer a trade up, sometimes I'll take something and give it back, sometimes I'll take it and put it away. So far he's not gotten snarky about it. If he did, I'd have to solve that issue.

- biting when comfy: This is a new one that Barney is starting, especially when husband or other dogs approach us in the evening when we are settled in and watching TV. We call it his eel look - he gets tense and will leap out, growl and snap.

We are working on it each night, and so far our solutions are not working. I'm still researching and trying to figure this out. Last night I saw a solution that says it is good to change the emotion (give treats) to help the dog calm down and accept the thing it is getting upset about. I know this seems like rewarding bad behavior. I'll be interested to hear what others here have to say. My dog is only 4.5 months old, so I really want to find a good solution for this soon. I think it will transfer to problems at the vet and socialization if I don't.

- people approaching: In general, I think it is up to the owner to tell others to keep their distance until the dog is ready to visit a new person. I encourage people to let the dog smell their hand, and give them a treat to give the dog. Chihuahuas are much more sensitive to this issue than my last dog was (whippet), so I'm learning too. So far he's done well, but I try to get him out as much as I can. My local post office is small, so that's one place we go to meet people.

Welcome to the forums, and thanks for opening a discussion about these topics.

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Here are pictures of Barney: Flickr: Crochet Bouquet's Photostream

I have no other choice but to put whatever it is that's out of place back where it belongs. He will not stop barking until I do. I can look at it in a positive way, things don't stay out of place very long!

The humping thing is what drives me the most crazy. I cannot leave a pillow out, period! When I catch him, I tell him "No!" and he stops until I'm not looking, then he's back at it. I have to put pillows out of his reach. He only does it with smaller pillows or stuffed toys. His eyes light up when he sees a stuffed animal.